Though the annual BarrieFest was shifted slightly from its typical home, the celebration was as memorable as usual for southeast Oak Park residents.

First held 14 years ago at Barrie Park, 1011 S. Lombard Ave., the celebration was moved this year onto adjacent Lombard Avenue due to rains that saturated the park.

The fest featured visits from the Oak Park Police and Fire departments, the Oak Park Library’s book bike and the Park District of Oak Park. Activities included an inflatable bounce house and obstacle course, a climbing wall, food and live music.

“The event is organized and staffed by the South East Oak Park Community Organization, the only neighborhood group of its kind in Oak Park,” said SEOPCO board member Jim Peterson. “We work closely with the park district in putting on the festival.”

BarrieFest also included a business/organization fair featuring most local government organizations and boards, as well as Oak Park businesses and nonprofit groups.

“We welcome people from all over Oak Park and surrounding communities, although most of those who attend likely come from our neighborhood,” Peterson said. “Most of the musical acts we featured this year also come from the neighborhood.”

The first BarrieFest was initially organized to celebrate the 2005 reopening of Barrie Park, which had undergone a years-long environmental cleanup that cost more than $75 million to complete. Since that time, the event has continued as an annual fall celebration for the neighborhood.